Political News and Commentary from the Right

The Tweety Bird Defense

Those who remember the Warren Court recall imaginative renderings of the constitution to expand criminal’s rights coupled with outright judicial hostility to police. The result was a national crime wave only recently curbed by new police techniques and more favorable rulings from the Supreme Court.

The suspect, Lonnie Ray Davis, was pulled over for violating a Michigan law prohibiting “dangling ornaments” that obstruct a driver’s vision. Davis had a 4” Tweety Bird statue dangling by a 3” string on his rear view mirror.

When he was pulled over, Davis admitted he had no drivers license, and was arrested. A search revealed an open pint of Hennessey Cognac, a stun gun in his waist, 2 baggies of crack cocaine in his sock, four rolled up wads of cash in his pocket, and a loaded .380 pistol under the drivers’ seat.

So, we have Tweety Bird, open booze, no license, two weapons, illicit drugs packaged for sale, and the apparent proceeds of prior sales. What were the honorable judges of the Sixth Circuit worried about? Tweety Bird, of course! You just can’t trust those cops, the judges concluded, to tell the difference between a dangling Tweety Bird ornament (not allowed) and a parking pass (ok). Even though Davis’ lawyers had not even raised the point, the judges struck down the Michigan “ornament” law finding it too vague to trust police with enforcing it.